The General Association of overseas Vietnamese in Laos (GA) on August 19 held a meeting to celebrate the country’s National Day and the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi.

At the meeting, attended by the Laotian Minister of Education Phankham Viphavan, Vietnamese Ambassador in Laos Ta Minh Chau and other senior Lao officials, the GA’s chairman Hoang Dieu highlighted the association’s achievements over the past year.

The GA donated 50 million VND to help flood-hit victims from the storm Kestina, 20 million kip for the Bolikhamsay provincial Party Committee, 1,000 USD for flood victims in Atopu province, 20,000 USD to build schools for Vietnamese children in Laos as well as two charity houses worth 12,000 USD.

The association, along with the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos and the Lao Ministry of Education, have provided 14 scholarships for Vietnamese students in Laos to attend university in Vietnam as well as opened Vietnamese language classes for overseas children.

The GA has also worked with a number of artists to help organise various kinds of performances during major celebrations and has requested the Lao state to present orders and medals to 59 overseas Vietnamese for their great services to the Lao revolution.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Chau asked the Vietnamese community to uphold their traditional unity and carry out pertinent activities when celebrating the country’s major anniversaries./.